​Jackhammer thief gets suspended sentence

A former employee of the Cayman Islands Fire Service received a one-month suspended sentence on Thursday after pleading guilty to stealing a jackhammer from the Fire Service.

Dwayne Glasgow, 53, admitted to stealing the equipment last year and attempting to pawn it. His attorney, Prathna Bodden, told Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez that he was in severe financial straits and was attempting to raise money to support his family.

Ms. Bodden explained that her client had a newborn baby, and had to take care of his mother, too, after an incident led to his father’s incarceration.

However, the person he tried to sell the equipment to tipped off the Fire Service, which led to his arrest.

Mr. Glasgow wrote two letters of apology, has started his own business, and is willing to pay compensation for his theft. He also has no drug or alcohol problems, Ms. Bodden said.

The defense attorney asked Magistrate Hernandez if she could be lenient and not incarcerate Mr. Glasgow, and not record his conviction.

In rendering her sentence, the judge said that this manner of theft – which was a breach of trust – usually calls for a custodial sentence. But given the defendant’s situation, Magistrate Hernandez said she would suspend his sentence for two years. If Mr. Glasgow commits any offenses during that time, he will automatically go to prison for a month, she said.

The judge declined to accommodate Ms. Bodden’s request not to record the conviction against Mr. Glasgow.

Editor’s Note: This story has been amended to reflect that Mr. Glasgow was an employee of the Fire Service, but was not a fire officer. The Fire Service confirmed that Mr. Glasgow was employed as a maintenance worker.